Benefits of Having a Felony Sex Crime Reduced to a Misdemeanor
A conviction for a felony sex crime can have devastating effects that haunt you for the rest of your life. However, just because you were convicted of a felony does not mean that you have to let your criminal record destroy your life. You may be eligible to have that felony reduced to a misdemeanor, which will help you escape the lifetime consequences of a felony sex crime conviction.
What Crimes Can Be Reduced?
A wobbler crime is defined as a crime that can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. If you commit any crime that is a considered a wobbler, you may qualify for a crime level reduction depending on the severity of the act and your prior criminal history under California Penal Code 17.
Some benefits of reducing a felony sex crime conviction to a misdemeanor include:
It Will Be Easier to Be Removed from the Registry of Sex Offenders
If you were convicted of a felony sex crime, you likely are required to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life.
Sex offenders may be subject to certain residency restrictions, depending on where you live. Some towns and cities completely banish offenders from living in certain areas. 1 Pursuant to Megan’s Law, your name will be made available to the public online, which can greatly interfere with your job prospects.
However, if you have your felony sex crime reduced to a misdemeanor, you may be eligible to end your requirement to register as a sex offender. The attorneys at Wallin & Klarich can help you determine the best way to be removed from the sex offender registry.
You May Be Able to Get Your Record Expunged
Unlike crimes that require a state prison sentence, a misdemeanor and certain felonies where probation was granted are eligible to be expunged from your criminal record under PC 1203.4. The expungement of the crime from your criminal record means that you may formally withdraw your guilty plea or vacate your conviction and all charges will be dismissed from your available record. 2
Reduction to a Misdemeanor Can Help You Restore Certain Rights
In some cases, if you are convicted of a felony, you may lose certain rights. For example, you may be ineligible to possess a firearm. 3 Successfully reducing your conviction to a misdemeanor may restore gun rights to you. If you successfully have a felony conviction expunged from your criminal record, you still would not be allowed the right to possess a firearm. That is why it is important to attempt to have your felony sex crime reduce to a misdemeanor before seeking an expungement.
Call the Criminal Defense Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich Today
If you want to find out if you are eligible to have your felony conviction reduced to a misdemeanor, contact our experienced criminal defense attorneys at Wallin & Klarich. Our attorneys have over 30 years of experience successfully helping our clients obtain post-conviction relief. We’ve helped thousands of clients in their time of legal need, and we can help you now.
With offices located in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, Torrance, Orange County, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, West Covina and Victorville, there is an experienced Wallin & Klarich criminal defense attorney available to help you no matter where you work or live.
Call us at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 for a free telephone consultation. We will be there when you call.
1. [http://www.hrw.org/news/2007/09/11/us-sex-offender-laws-may-do-more-harm-good]↩
2. [http://www.yourcleanrecord.com/reducing-a-felony-to-a-misdemeanor-in-california.html]↩
3. [http://www.yourcleanrecord.com/dismissing-previous-convictions-expungement-.html]↩
